Stay
by pancakevampire
Summary: After the parties and excitement of the Princess' return fade, Eugene decides to leave. One-shot. (Rated T for mild language) AN: This is loosely based off of something I said in chapter 9 of my fic, "Arrangements", but this can be read as a stand-alone fic.


Eugene rose early, just as the sun was rising over the kingdom of Corona. He usually elected to sleep in as late as he could manage, but today was different. He hadn't managed to get a wink of sleep in all of the hours he had lain in bed, even though this bed was more comfortable than any other bed he had ever lain in, and the blankets were soft and silky against his skin. Instead, his thoughts had kept him awake, tossing and turning in a too-comfortable bed in an unfamiliar room.

Rapunzel's parents - the freaking King and Queen of Corona, of all people - had been gracious enough to pardon him of his crimes as a reward for finding the long lost princess, and had been even more gracious to allow him to stay in their castle. It was nice to say the least - they served delicious meals three times a day, he had his own private bedroom and washroom, and they had even given him new clothes. But he didn't belong there. Even if he had been pardoned for his numerous thefts - including the princess's crown, which he didn't think should have counted, because he _had_ returned it eventually - he wasn't like Rapunzel and her parents. He had been an orphan for some time, but even before his parents had died, they had been poor.

Seeing Rapunzel with her rightful parents made him feel...kind of jealous. Of course, he was happy for her, because she had lived her entire life with the abusive woman who had kidnapped her, and she deserved to be happy and loved. And she was a good, kindhearted person who deserved to be loved unconditionally. But it made him realize that she now had everything he had ever wanted - money, a castle, and a family. He didn't want to be jealous, but he couldn't avoid it.

And as for Rapunzel... She was growing more confident and adventurous as each day passed. She was growing accustomed to life in the palace, though some of it was confusing to her. After her first etiquette lesson, she had come to Eugene, talking about how different ever piece of cutlery was but how all of it looked the same. "Why does a person need three forks?" And there were certain aspects of it that she disliked, such as wearing shoes and how her tutor would get frustrated with her and say, "Because it just _is_!" when she asked things like "But _why_ is the Earth round?"

Whenever she said his name, or turned her large, green eyes on him, or smiled at him, or laughed, he felt...strange. Like he couldn't breathe and like his heart was beating too fast. He'd never felt this way before, but he had a sinking feeling that he knew _exactly_ what it was, and he was afraid. The small shreds of Flynn Rider that were left in him told him to run for the hills.

And well...technically, he was. But for different reasons. Sure he was afraid of falling in love - the word made him shudder - but, there were other reasons for him to leave. For one, it was probably only a matter of time before he overstayed his welcome and the King and Queen kicked him out. They were nice people, but this was a favor. An act of kindness. And he suspected that it had been Rapunzel's idea.

Then there was everyone else. Rapunzel and her parents were busy people, and so that left him with a lot of time on his own. Most of the palace staff ignored him, which was just fine. But he couldn't help but notice the way the guards eyed him suspiciously, as if they were just waiting for him to make off with the palace treasure. And they were everywhere he was. Eugene wasn't sure if that was their idea of if the King had asked them to keep an eye on him, but it was irritating. He was fairly good at giving them the slip, but that didn't keep their presence from getting under his skin. Most days he would sneak up to the library and bring books back to his room.

Flynn never stayed in one place for very long, and Eugene was beginning to grow restless and bored. At least, that's what he asserted as his main reason for leaving. Castles weren't as great as he had thought, and he was still broke. Sure, he was getting fed and clothed for free, but it felt a lot like mooching. He needed to be dependent.

He had spent his sleepless hours thinking all of this through. He thought about what he would say to Rapunzel. He'd even tried writing a letter to her when he realized he'd never be able to say goodbye to her in person, but that only resulted in a pile of crumpled up drafts. In the end, he had no idea what to say to her, so he decided he would just leave without saying goodbye. Sure, it might hurt her, but she'd move on.

And he would forget about her. Right? He'd forget about all of it - singing with the pub thugs, running from the guards, being trapped in the cave, falling asleep with her by a campfire, their day in the city, the boat ride gone wrong, escaping the prison and rushing to save her, dying, being brought back to life, that kiss - all of it. And he would...what? Go back to his old life?

He wasn't sure yet what he was going to do, but he knew it would be best for him to just leave town completely. Maybe stop off at the Snuggly Duckling for a drink or two or ten. And after that...well, he'd come up with a plan as he went along.

Eugene fastened the buckles of his worn vest and slipped on his old, rugged boots. He left the new, dark blue vest and the rest of the clothes they had given him folded at the bottom of his wardrobe. He grabbed the crumpled up attempts at a letter and stuffed them into his old leather satchel. He carefully combed over the room, careful not to leave anything behind. He placed the library books he had borrowed on the desk, removing his bookmarks. On the windowsill, he found a small, white seashell that Rapunzel had given him when they visited the beach. It was such a little, meaningless thing, and yet it seemed incredibly important to him. He added it to his bag. _Sentimental fool_, he thought sarcastically.

He tidied the sheets on the bed - he'd never been the type of person to make his bed, but it seemed strange to him to leave without straightening them. He spread the blankets flat and placed the pillows neatly on top. Eugene cast one last look around his borrowed room, feeling a mixture of anxiety and dread. He was about to turn and leave when he heard a quiet knock at the door.

Startled, he spun to face the door. Who could it be? He was sure it was still well before seven in the morning, and most of the castle had to still be in bed, save some of the staff. He wasn't sure if he should answer the door or pretend to be asleep when the person knocked again. And then a quiet, familiar voice called his name. The voice was hesitant and nervous, and its quiet innocence is what did him in.

_Fuck_, he thought. He ran a hand through his hair anxiously and eyed the window. If he was quick, he could escape. He could climb out the window and down the side of the castle - which he knew with certainty that he was already capable of - and be gone just like that. He knew he could do it, but something stopped him. With a sigh - directed more at himself than at the person on the opposite side of the door - he turned away from the window and opened the door.

Rapunzel stood in the dim hallway, wearing nothing but a nightgown with a robe thrown hastily over it. The robe was left untied and hung open, revealing a short, rather low cut lavender night gown. Her short, dark hair was still mussed from sleep, and her eyes were rimmed with red. "What's wrong?" He asked automatically, without even a second thought. After he said it, it seemed absurd, considering he had been minutes away from leaving without saying goodbye.

She rubbed her eyes with one hand and tugged at the hem of her nightgown with the other. "I had a nightmare," she began, her voice quiet and hoarse, "about...about when...when you..."

She didn't have to finish for him to get the gist. _About when I died_. She shook her head as if to clear her mind and ran her hands through her hair. Even though it had been a few weeks since it had been cut short, she still flinched when her fingers slipped easily through the short locks. "I'm sorry," she started again, and this time she sounded nervous. "I just...I guess I wanted to make sure you were okay and -" Her eyes scanned the room and lingered on the tidy bed sheets. She turned her gaze back on him and looked him over, taking note of his clothing and his satchel slung over his shoulder.

"Are you going somewhere?" She asked, trying to conceal her shock. He saw her eyes travel downwards, her gaze resting on his old, ragged vest, which had been cleaned and repaired by a thoughtful maid, but still had a faint bloodstain. Her gaze traveled back up to his as his mind spun in circles, trying to come up with an excuse.

He could lie and say he was going for a walk, but he knew she deserved more than that. She deserved more than _him_, and that was part of the point. She deserved...the best. And he...well, he may be a reformed criminal, but he knew with complete certainty that he was far from the best. At the very least, he owed her the truth, even if it would be difficult. Looking into her deep green eyes was making it hard for him to think, so he looked away when he finally said, "I'm leaving."

She took a step backwards as if she had been pushed. He saw it in his peripheral vision - he couldn't stomach seeing the look on her face enough to turn his head. There was a long moment of silence where he clutched the strap of his satchel and waited for her to say something. He wanted to run, to leave now before he changed his mind. In his chest, his heart pounded as if he had just been running from palace guards.

"Why?" She finally managed to ask, her voice tight as if she was forcing herself to stay composed. _Because I'm a coward_, he thought. _Because I'm jealous. Because I don't belong here._ _Because you deserve better than me. _But he couldn't say any of those things. He couldn't speak. When he finally looked at her, her eyes were wide as she stared at him in confusion. Her hands were clasped and drawn up to her chest. She seemed very small and very fragile.

He forced a laugh that didn't fool anyone and managed to make something up. "It's time for me to move on. I'm a nomad." _What kind of bullshit was that?_

"A what?"

He pressed his palm to his face. "I move around a lot, you know?"

"Oh," she said quietly. After a few moments of contemplation, she spoke up again. "How long will you be gone?" Her voice was small and hopeful and he hated how guilty it made him feel. _Shit._

"Rapunzel," he began, trailing off. He turned to look out the window, and then back at her. She looked so innocent and hopeful. He hated to do this to her. He took a deep breath and squeezed his eyes shut before finally saying, "Rapunzel, I'm not coming back."

There. He had said it. He prepared himself for her reaction, but she just stood there. Her eyes were unfocused as she stared at the ground. Her hands twisted and untwisted together. He stepped forward and closed the door behind him, closing them off in the dimly lit hallway. She had backed up against the wall, and that gave him enough room to slip past. He glanced at her once more as he passed, then started off down the corridor.

"Wait!" She called, finally snapping out of her trance. Without even deciding to, he stopped dead in his tracks, but didn't turn around. He heard her soft footsteps approach, and then stop just behind him. "Are...are you that unhappy here?"

To be honest, Eugene had been happier in the past few weeks than he had been in a long time. Sure, he was bored when Rapunzel was busy with lessons or spending time with her parents, but the time they spent together was great. He loved her enthusiasm and the way she took in the world. He loved trying to see things through her eyes, as new and exciting and special even if they had become mundane to everyone else. He loved how eager she was to see and learn everything she possibly could. He loved...her, as much as it pained him to admit it.

"It's not that," he finally answered. "It's just...I don't belong here."

Rapunzel thought for a long moment. "I feel that way sometimes too." He turned around abruptly to find her leaning against the wall and staring at her hands as they twisted together. "Everything is so different than what I'm used to. And everyone treats me so...delicately. Everyone is so nice, but it seems like they all think I'm going to disappear again. And there's so many new rules to learn, and so many things that I'm expected to do. But I don't get a choice. I feel like...maybe I wasn't meant to come back."

Eugene couldn't think of anything to say. She always seemed so carefree and happy, but it hadn't occurred to him that she might be hiding her true feelings. He had thought this life was better than her former life in the tower, and in many ways, it was, but it was easy for him to see now how she might be feeling just as confined.

"But when I'm with you," she continued, her voice growing softer as she went on, "I feel like I really belong. You're the only one who really understands what happened and you're the only person I can talk about that stuff with. My parents just don't get it, and I don't have any other friends really...I guess I'd just be really lonely if you left."

The was a pause, and her eyes widened as she continued, "Not that I'm trying to make you feel like you have to stay, because you don't have to. I mean, I would miss you but I'm not trying to make you feel guilty or anything like that!"

There was a long silence. Eugene wanted to find the right words to say, but he couldn't think of anything. He kept switching between go and stay and go and stay and he didn't know what to think anymore. Flynn Rider wanted to go. Eugene wanted to stay. But who was he now? Flynn had always been a selfish thief out of need. A facade created to protect a vulnerable child. But now that he had prospects of a semi-normal life, did he still need to be Flynn? Could he really just be Eugene?

Rapunzel pushed herself off of the wall and took a cautious step forward. Her face was cast downwards, so he couldn't read her expression. He didn't move, and she took another small step towards him. Then, quickly, before he could react, she had launched herself at him, wrapping her arms around him tightly. There was a moment where neither made a sound, and Eugene just sort of stood there in shock. Then he heard her sniffle and say, in a quiet, muffled voice, "Please stay. I know I can't make you, and I don't want you to feel like I'm ordering you to, but I...I don't know how to do all of this without you."

Sure, he was physically capable of leaving, but did he really have a choice? She wanted him to stay, and he wanted to be with her. He had felt it too - that with her, he belonged. That wherever she was...that was where he was meant to be. He knew he had never _really _been bored, that he had really just been anxious and nervous. He knew he could live with the sidelong glances and being followed around by guards until they deemed him trustworthy, as long as she wanted him by her side. By some miracle, this beautiful, amazing girl - no, _woman_ - wanted to be with him. Know that he realized that she needed him and wanted him there, he couldn't imagine leaving.

With a sigh, he accepted his fate. He was in love. He never thought he'd be admitting it to himself, but he was in love, and he had fallen hard. He couldn't leave her alone. He didn't know how, just mere minutes ago, he had been so resolved to leave her behind.

_Flynn_ would do that. _Flynn_ would leave without saying goodbye, leave while everyone was still asleep. But Eugene? Well, Eugene wrapped his arms around the small girl and kissed the top of her head.

"Alright, Blondie. For you, I'll stay."


End file.
